Atlanta Braves Star In The Making For The 2016 Season?
By Jeff Schafer
With the current roster for the Atlanta Braves entering the 2016 season, look at the infield and who is prime to lead and take the Braves’ infield back to being in its prime?
The obvious pick, if he remains on the team, is Freddie Freeman. How could you not say that Freeman will once again put up big numbers and be the leader on the field?
There is a way.
Everyone knows Freeman will be there if he does not get traded, so you have to look at someone who can be his counterpart. If the Braves had Batman in Freeman, who is Freeman’s Robin?
Going around the diamond, Peterson is the most logical pick.
Starting at third base for projected starters, you have Adonis Garcia. In 2015, Garcia had 191 at-bats, with 53 hits, while compiling 10 home runs, but only 26 RBI’s and batting .277.
Shifting over to shortstop, Erick Aybar had 597 at-bats, with 161 hits. Aybar hit three home runs, with 44 RBI’s and a .270 batting average.
We will skip second, Peterson’s position, and move over to the Braves’ Batman in Freeman at first.
Freeman had 416 at-bats, with 115 hits, while compiling 18 home runs and 66 RBI’s. He hit .276 while missing games due to injuries.
Catching, the projected starter is A.J. Pierzynski, who in 2015 had 407 at-bats with 122 hits. His batting average of .300 consisted of nine home runs and 49 RBI’s.
Now move back to second base. In his first full season in the big leagues in 2015, Peterson compiled 528 at-bats, with 126 hits. Peterson had six home runs, with 52 RBI’s and a .239 batting average.
Now you might say that Aybar had better numbers than Peterson in 2015, so what is the thought process behind Peterson shining in 2016?
All you have to do as we sit on November 24, 2015 is look at each of their ages when Opening Day 2016 comes along:
Aybar – 32 years old
Peterson – 25 years old
Age prevails here for success.